Cape Breton Screaming Eagles captain Stephen Woodworth will skate in his final Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. Cape Breton opens the post season on Friday against the Gatineau Olympiques. Mike Sullivan photo

SYDNEY — Leading a young team on the rise has been a rewarding experience for Cape Breton Screaming Eagles captain Stephen Woodworth.

“Woody” begins his final Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs starting Friday when the ninth-place Screaming Eagles travel to Gatineau to face the eighth-place Olympiques.

“I remember being 16-years-old and playing on a really good team, but unfortunately lost in the first round,” said the 20-year-old Middleton, N.S., native, as the team traveled by bus to Gatineau. “I never really got back to a team until this year that we knew we’d have a shot in the playoffs, so it’s a very optimistic feeling around the group and especially in the community, we’ve had a lot of support from everybody.

“We’re really looking forward to getting going.”

It’s been a long road to this point for the overage defenceman. His real break into the QMJHL came as a 16-year-old. In Jan. 2010, he was acquired from the Lewiston Maineiacs for 18-year-old defenceman Eric Gelinas, who was subsequently shipped to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens to acquire forward Jacob Lagacé. Woodworth, a 2009 QMJHL draft pick, played only five games with the Maineiacs and spent most of that season with the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Lions before coming to Cape Breton.

“I obviously want to prove myself to both the hockey team and the people here in Cape Breton,” Woodworth said in a 2010 interview after the trade. “They’re a great hockey organization and if I can contribute and prove it to them that I deserve a spot on this team, I want to do that as best I can.”

Woodworth proved himself for sure, and became a mainstay on the blue-line. He was named captain last season following the departure of Morgan Ellis, and has been involved in the community. He launched the “Woody’s Seats” ticket program that invites an elementary school student and an accompany adult to the game as his guest.

On the ice, Woodworth has brought a steady contribution and important minutes on the blue-line, along with an iron man-ability to stay in the lineup. According to the team, he’s third all time in games played as a member of the Screaming Eagles (287) and has played the most consecutive games as a member of the team at 168. That streak began on Dec. 18, 2011.

The defensive specialist has nine goals and 45 assists for 54 points to go along with 237 penalty minutes in 292 regular-season games.

“The last few years, we’ve had some down times and for this year to have the success we’ve had with a younger group has been very rewarding and something I feel very proud of,” he said.

Woodworth and the young Screaming Eagles (37-27-1-3) face an Olympiques (41-23-1-3) team they split the season series with, losing 4-0 at the Centre Robert Guertin on Feb. 7, followed by a 5-4 victory at Centre 200 on Feb. 15. They’ll look to shut down the offensive talents of players like Emile Poirier and Martin Reway.

“It’s a tough building to win in and they’re a very physical team, so we’re going to have to use our speed to our advantage and try and outskate them,” he said.

Screaming Eagles head coach and general manager Marc-André Dumont said his club is happy to be back into the playoffs after a two-year absence.

“We want to step on the ice and play our best hockey possible,” he said. “We’ve been tested a few times throughout the course of the year, improved and got better. It’s going to be a good way for us to see where we’re at.”

As for playing Gatineau, Dumont said “we’re going to focus on our team.”

The Screaming Eagles only injury heading into the post season is defenceman Jason Bell, who’s been out with an upper-body injury. Dumont said Bell is set to get his cast off on April 1.

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QMJHL Playoffs

Gatineau (8) vs. Cape Breton (9)

Game 1 – Friday, 8:30 p.m., Gatineau

Game 2 – Saturday, 8 p.m., Gatineau

Game 3 – Tuesday, 7 p.m., Sydney

Game 4 – March 26, 7 p.m., Sydney

Game 5 – March 28, 7 p.m., Sydney*

Game 6 – March 31, 8:30 p.m., Gatineau*

Game 7 – April 1, 8:30 p.m., Gatineau*

*If necessary

All times Atlantic

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